Ian Dickson

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Ian 'Dicko' Dickson

Born:	March 28, 1955 (age 52) Birmingham, West Midlands, England
Occupation:	Television presenter
Spouse:	Melanie Bell

Ian "Dicko" Dickson (born 28 March 1955 as Ian Ross Perrygrove in Birmingham, England) is a music industry and television personality in Australia. He is best known as a judge on the hit television show Australian Idol.

Contents 1 Australian Idol 2 Role with Seven 3 Return to Idol 4 Memorable Quotes 5 Trivia 6 References 7 External Links

[edit] Australian Idol

In the early 1980s he completed a degree in politics from the University of Nottingham before entering music journalism. He met his wife, Mel Bell, in Bristol around the same time. She gave him his jump start in the music industry, soon working for several record companies and managing a growing rotation of bands and artists. In 2001, he moved to Sydney to take up the position of General Manager of Marketing for Sony BMG Australia, and in 2003 took up his best known role, as the (supposed) "Mr. Nasty" on Australian Idol in the first and second seasons. He was initially disliked by a large majority of Australians for his insensitive cold attitude (including controversial comments on a female contestant's weight), but towards the end of tenure became hugely popular for his candid assessments of Idol's performances. He was also Australia's judge at the first World Idol in December 2003.

[edit] Role with Seven

Near the end of the 2004 series, it was announced he would be leaving Australian Idol (and Network Ten) to take up a job at the Seven Network to broaden his interests as a presenter and producer. His departure came at the height of the show's and his own popularity. His heavy criticism of the show's format wearing thin proved to be true throughout the third season as lackluster ratings and the quality of the overall contestants were enough to support his claims. Critics have also pointed out his replacement 'shock jock' Kyle Sandilands, whose criticisms of contestants focuses primarily on image and are often seen as cruel as opposed to Dicko's constructive style, as a factor in the show's decline. He began his new career direction with by founding his own production company "Watercooler Productions". As a member of the Seven roster, he has since gone on to host the restaurant reality show My Restaurant Rules succeeding previous host Curtis Stone, and appear on the celebrity dancing competition Dancing with the Stars in which he placed third. He returned to the series as a guest judge during the fifth series in which he provided contestants with comments based on "entertainment value".

In December 2005, Dicko hosted the morning show on Sydney & Melbourne radio stations vega 95.3 and vega 91.5 both part of the Vega radio network. In April 2006 he appeared as a guest judge on the SBS programme Song For The Socceroos ^[1] and in November 2006 he appeared as a panelist on the ABC's "My Favourite Album".

In 2006 he was the host of Celebrity Survivor, the Seven Network's celebrity version of Survivor. His last role for the network saw him praised by critics for his strong performance in a weak series.

[edit] Return to Idol

On November 30, 2006, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Dickson would return to the Ten Network to become a fourth judge on the 2007 Australian Idol competition, rejoining Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and his successor Kyle Sandilands^[2].

Dickson has attributed his return to being tired of the constant displacement of his talent by the Seven Network, the clear improvement of the show's format and high caliber of the fourth season's contestants. He says his role as the harsh but honest judge which endeared him to many was the one he was most comfortable with.

"Look, I loved Australian Idol. Basically, everything I have now would not have happened without Idol. I probably went a bit cold on it last year. This year, I think it’s back with a vengeance - I’m actually addicted to it. I did feel a bit jealous at times, looking at the show still going on without me. I left because, I guess, I didn’t want to become a pantomime baddie. I didn’t want to become too predictable. Plus, I’ll be honest; I’m in it for the money as well"

This also comes after a controversial rant he made just months before in which he described his then former co-judge Mark Holden as ""mind-numbingly stupid and erratic" and his successor Kyle Sandilands as "a bit of a loud-mouth jerk". He concluded by labeling winner of the second season, the last winner under his employment, Casey Donovan as a "horrible disaster" alluding to her short lived success and being the first Idol to be dropped from Sony BMG. ^[3]

[edit] Memorable Quotes

Australian Idol

To various audition hopefuls in the first season -

• "That's not a voice, that's a weapon of mass destruction"
• "If the Bee Gees heard you sing that, you would finish the other brothers off"
• "I'm not signing someone who looks like they could get beaten in a fight by Nikki Webster"
• "Your voice should come with a government health warning"
• "You've got looks that could stop traffic but unfortunately you've got a voice that could strip wallpaper"
• "You.. shut up, how can you expect us to judge that?"
• "Your voice isn't strong enough to overcome the way you look."
• "So, you choose to worship God through your voice do you? Have you thought about taking a vow of silence?"
• "We're not asking you to memorize the Koran, it's a bloody pop song!"
• "I can think of a perfect place for you to go and sing....The Nullarbor. A big expansive nothingness where no one can hear you. That was shocking."

• "You should choose more appropriate clothing or shed some pounds." - To first season contestant Paulini Curuenavuli which would gain him nationwide furor.
• "You're the best unsigned talent I've ever seen actually" - To first season winner Guy Sebastian
• "That was the finest performance I have seen on that stage in the two years we've been doing this. You may only be 5'2" but you're the biggest man in the house after that" - To second season runner-up Anthony Callea after his performance of "The Prayer"

World Idol

• "Who says the Germans don't have a sense of humor? Because that was a comedy routine I'm afraid!" - To German Idol Alexander Klaws

• "You're a hell of a marketing challenge because you have the voice of an angel but you look like a hobbit! And the fact is, if we were looking for Middle Earth Idol I think you would absolutely hands down win it!" - To Norwegian Idol and eventual World Idol Kurt Nilsen which widely considered the most humorous and well received comment of the night.

[edit] Trivia

• On Australia Day (January 26th) 2007, Dickson became an Australian citizen. He has lived in Australia for over 5 years with his wife, Melanie Bell, and two daughters^[4].

• Is good friends with his Pop Idol / American Idol counterpart Simon Cowell going back to their days working together in the British music industry. It was Cowell who convinced Dickson take the role as the "villain judge" despite Dickson's reserves given that he was relatively new to his adopted homeland and wanted to settle at a gradual pace. Cowell guaranteed immediate money and fame as incentives. [1]

• On an episode of the ABC Australia news program 4 Corners broadcast on 19 February 2007, Dickson went public and discussed his problems with alcohol. The program followed how he attempted to give up alcohol altogether, however several weeks in Dickson broke from his attempt at abstinence. During the program he admitted that he was an alcoholic. "Am I an alcoholic or not? Yes, I think, I think I am an alcoholic. I think a lot more people are living under the cosh of booze than they are prepared to recognise. And it's actually quite liberating when you understand that, because you realise there's lots of people in the same boat. You don't have to be sitting on a street corner urinating in your trousers and shadow boxing to be a drunk. I'm living proof." [2]

[edit] References

[edit] External Links

• Ian "Dicko" Dickson at the Internet Movie Database
• Dicko at MySpace

Australian Idol
Hosts and Judges
Andrew G | James Mathison Mark Holden | Marcia Hines | Ian "Dicko" Dickson | Kyle Sandilands
Winners
Guy Sebastian | Casey Donovan | Kate DeAraugo | Damien Leith
Runners-Up
Shannon Noll | Anthony Callea | Emily Williams | Jessica Mauboy
Seasons
Idol 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
Other
List of semi finalists | Young Divas | Australian Made: The Hits | List of commercial releases